All about C-295 Aircraft being manufactured by Tata and Airbus
As part of a Rs 21,935-crore agreement, European aviation giant Airbus and India’s TATA group will jointly produce at least 40C-295 transport aircraft in India, with final assembly line being established in Gujarat’s Vadodara.
Prime Minister laid the cornerstone for the production plant on 30th October 2022 in order to move on with the arrangement made last year for 56 C-295MW aircraft with a capacity of 5 to 10 tons.
Airbus C295 is a new generation tactical airlifter which is considered in the light and medium category. Although it is strong and dependable, it is also incredibly versatile in terms of the range of tasks it can carry out. Under all weather, the C295 operates in multiple roles all over the world. It regularly conducts daytime and nighttime combat missions in all types of weather, including maritime and desert environments with extremely hot and cold temperature.
With the addition of winglets to the new C295 variant, the aircraft can carry more payloads over longer distances in hot and arid circumstances, resulting in fuel savings of about 4% and increased safety margins in hilly areas. The demand for varied air transport missions among today’s military services is rising and the C295 is ready to carry out its mission successfully regardless of what is required for an operation.
The C-295 is effective at a wide range of tasks outside of its usage as a tactical transporter. These included marine patrol, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), electronic signals intelligence (ELINT), parachute and cargo dropping, and electronic signals intelligence. Some of the equipment for customizing the aircraft to perform different missions has been put onto pallets, making installation and removal quick and easy. Although civil certification was gained to allow its use by government agencies, a commercial version of the C-295 was not pursued for a while by the firm due to the CN-235’s poor sales performance in the commercial aviation industry.
Up to 71 soldiers, or 50 paratroopers with war packs, can be transported on board the C-295, which is propelled by two Pratt & Whitney PW-127 turboprop engines. It has the ability to transfer supplies to areas that are inaccessible to the IAF’s bigger transport aircraft, including the C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Super Hercules, or Ilyushin 76.
Some Special features of C295 are
- The plane can be converted into a number of different configurations, such as water bomber, an air tanker (for air to air refueling), for transporting VIPs, and for medical evacuation.
- With the length of 12.7m (41ft 8in), the C295 has the longest unobstructed cabin in its class. With a far bigger capacity for personnel than its rivals, Airbus estimates the aircraft can carry up to 71 seats.
- The advanced integrated avionics system with malfunctional displays improves situational awareness and flight safety, lowers pilot workload, and increases mission effectiveness.
- The aircraft has glass cockpit with digital avionics, including four large active matrix liquid crystal displays that are compatible with night vision goggles.
40 will be produced in India
A total of 40 aircraft will be produced in India by the TATA led Consortium led by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), as a part of the deal. Between September 2023 and August 2025, Airbus, Spain is projected to deliver the first 16 fly-away aircraft, while the first aircraft to be made in India is anticipated to arrive in September.
The C-295 represents Airbus Defense’s first significant victory in India. The H135M and AS565 Panther are two potential future offerings in the navy utility helicopter market.
Airbus has fielded the A330 MRTT in order to assist the IAF in its acquisition of airborne refueling tankers